Amorim: 'I'd rather play goalkeeping coach than Marcus Rashford'

Ruben Amorim gave a blunt reply on Marcus Rashford's chances of returning to the Manchester United team.

Speaking after his team’s narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham, he emphasized his commitment to discipline and effort.

Amorim stated that he would rather field 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than include players like Rashford who, in his view, are not giving their maximum effort.

Though Amorim did not name Rashford explicitly, he was responding to a question about the England forward’s potential return to the squad amidst the team’s offensive struggles.

When asked why Rashford was once again absent from the matchday squad, Amorim said:“It’s always the same reason—training.

"It’s about how I see footballers’ attitudes in training and in life. Every day, every detail matters.

“So, if things don’t change, I will not change. That applies to every player. If you give the maximum and do the right things, then you are available to be used.

“You could see it today; we missed a bit of pace on the bench to change the game. But I prefer it that way.

"I’d rather play Vital before I put a player on the pitch who doesn’t give their all every single day. That’s not going to change.”

Amorim’s reference to Vital highlights the close relationship between the manager and his long-time coaching colleague, who followed him from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United.

The pair first worked together at Braga during Amorim’s playing career.

Amorim also addressed the future of Alejandro Garnacho, who has attracted interest from clubs like Chelsea.

“Nobody knows what will happen,” he admitted. “Anything can happen in football. Garnacho is improving in all areas of his game, and we’re working to find the best position for him.

"But I can’t guarantee what will happen before the transfer window closes.”

As Amorim celebrated his 40th birthday on Monday, he joked about the challenges of managing United.

“It’s not 40... it’s 50!” he quipped. “This job ages you quickly. After two months at Manchester United, I feel 50. But it’s a privilege to spend my birthday here.”

Reflecting on the win against Fulham, Amorim was candid: “It’s a good day for us. It wasn’t a great performance, and we can all see that, but we fought hard for the win.

"We need to improve a lot with the ball. Without the ball, we were okay and controlled the game.

“Even in the second half, we wanted to change something, but we lacked pace and power up front.

"We struggle with creating chances and need to improve on those details. But winning helps. It gives us momentum and time to build confidence.”

Fulham head coach Marco Silva was disappointed with the outcome, calling it “cruel.”

“They had their first shot on goal in the 78th minute,” Silva said. “Our pressure in the first half was good, and we created enough chances to score.

"Unfortunately, their goal came from a lucky deflection. The result is really unfair for us.”

While Amorim admitted there is work to do, the victory provided some much-needed relief for United, who continue to face scrutiny amid an inconsistent season.